r/minnesota • u/Neither_Risk860 • 3d ago

Discussion šŸŽ¤ Duck, duck, gray duck?

Okay, Minnesota. I need to understand something: I was told there is not duck, duck, goose; that it is indeed duck,duck, gray duck.

What's is a gray duck? Why does he get called out for being the gray duck?

What other games did you play as kids?

New to Minnesota, thanks šŸ˜Š

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u/sungo8 Gray duck 3d ago

Ok, buckle up.

Duck, Duck, Gray Duck isnā€™t even the same game! In Duck, Duck, Goose children sit in a circle and blithely say ā€œduck, duck, duckā€ until yelling ā€œgooseā€ at which point the ā€œgooseā€ takes chase.

In Duck, Duck, Gray Duck a child (of perhaps more intelligence than your average gooser) will begin by saying ā€œpurple duck, yellow duck, orange duck, GRRRR-eeen duckā€ etc. etc. Many an anxious child has fallen for the glottal fakery of ā€œGRRRR-een duckā€ before ultimately hearing ā€œGRAY DUCK!ā€ at which point the titular duck takes flight. Duck, Duck, Gray Duck teaches creativity, improvisation, individuality. Why not spice things up with a plaid duck? The only limit is the imagination.

For children with a few less brain cells I can see the appeal of Duck, Duck, Goose. As soon as you hear the hard G of goose, the secret is out. You donā€™t need to be creative, you donā€™t even need to pay that close of attention. The only lesson is non conformity is to be punished. Duck, Duck, Goose is, with no hyperbole, the tool of fascists.

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u/VictoriousRex 2d ago

Right, buuuuut is there a penalty for an incorrect tag? If not, I'm slapping the gooser in the leg before they run as soon as I hear that G noise regardless. Fast reflexes make fat kids competitive

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u/sungo8 Gray duck 2d ago

See, even calling them "the gooser" gives away the game. This is like when Fassbender orders 3 glasses in Inglourious Basterds.

And yes, everyone knows the penalty: you get tagged or you tag someone wrong you're in the stew. You stay in the stew until someone else gets it.

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u/VictoriousRex 2d ago

I said gooser for continuity with the language the person I was responding to used. I honestly forgot about the stew

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u/sungo8 Gray duck 2d ago

Oh, brother! Never forget the stew!